Yawning receiv'd them whole, and on them clos'd; 875 Hell, their fit habitation, fraught with fire ...... Unquenchable, the houfe of woe and pain. Disburden'd Heaven rejoic'd, and foon repair'd Her mural breach, returning whence it roll'd. Sole victor, from the expulfion of his foes, 880 Meffiah his triumphal chariot turn'd: Yawning received them whole, &c.] This is a fine imitation of Ifaiah, v. 14. "Therefore Hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without meafure: And their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall defcend into it." See alfo P. Fletcher, Purp. Iland, C. vii. ft. 45, edit, 1633. "Under, Hell widely yawn'd; and, over, flew Damnation." Todd. Ver. 876. Hell, their fit habitation, the house of woe and pain.] Very like that in Fairfax's Tafo, B. ix. ft. 59. "Fit houfe for them, the houfe of grief and pain." An inftance this, and there are others, that Milton made use of the tranflation of Taffo, as well as of the original. NEWTON. Ver. 878. Difburden'd Heaven rejoic'd,] Michael has driven the infernal Spirits to Hell, ft. 66. "Liberato da lor quella sì negra So Taffo, when Gier. Lib. C. ix. "Faccia depone il mondo, e fi rallegra." THYER. Ver. 879. returning] Returning is to be joined in conftruction with Heaven, and not with breach. Heaven `re turned to its place: But the expreffion is not very accurate, Heaven repair'd her mural breach, and returned whence it rolled. NEWTON. To meet him all his Saints, who filent stood Eye-witnesses of his almighty acts, With jubilee advanc'd; and, as they went, 884 Shaded with branching palm, each Order bright, Sung triumph, and him fung victorious King, Son, Heir, and Lord, to him dominion given, Worthiest to reign: He, celebrated, rode Triumphant through mid Heaven, into the courts And temple of his Mighty Father thron'd 890 Ver. 882. To meet him &c.] Rev, xii. 10. STILLINGFLEET. Ver. 888, Worthieft to reign:] The Angels here fing the fame divine fong which St. John heard them fing in his vision, Rev. iv. 11. NEWTON. Ver, 891. who into glory him receiv'd, Where now he fits at the right hand of bliss,] 1 Tim. iii. 16. "Received up into glory," And Heb, i. 3. "Sat down on the right hand of the Majefty on high." GILLIES. Ver.893. Thus, measuring things in Heaven by things on earth, &c.] He repeats the fame kind of apology here in the conclusion, that he made in the beginning of his narration. See B. v. 573, &c, And it is indeed the best defence that can be made for the bold fictions in this book, which though fome cold readers perhaps may blame, yet the coldeft, I conceive, cannot but admire. It is remarkable too with what art and beauty the poet from the highth and fublimity of the reft of the book defcends here at the clofe of it, like the lark from her loftieft notes in the clouds, to the most profaick fimplicity of language and numbers; a fimpli 895 At thy request, and that thou may'ft beware! Which would be all his folace and revenge, 905 city which not only gives it variety, but the greatest majefty, as Milton himself seems to have thought, by always choosing to give the fpeeches of God and the Meffiah in that ftyle, though thefe I fuppofe are the parts of this Poem, which Dryden cenfures as the flats which he often met with for thirty or forty lines together. NEWTON. The reader cannot indeed but admire the dignity and emphasis, with which the Angel's fpeech concludes. The fame brief fentences, and folemn pauses, may be observed in the fine moral instruction, which the heavenly messenger gives Adam, at the close of the eighth book. TODD. Ver. 900. With Satan; he who envies now thy ftate,] The conftruction requires him, as Dr. Bentley obferves: Or it may be understood," he it is who envies now thy ftate." NEWTON. The he is highly emphatical here. To tell the circumstance of Satan's envy and infidious designs against Man newly created, and to warn him against it, was the great purpose of Raphael's miffion. See B. v. 239, &c. DUNSTER. But liften not to his temptations, warn Of disobedience; firm they might have stood, Ver. 909. Thy weaker ;] weaker veffel," 1 Pet. iii. 7. 910 As St. Peter calls the wife, "the NEWTON. THE END OF THE SIXTH BOOK. |